Trolling-spoon



(No Model.)

1). J. COOK.

TROLLING SPOON.

No. 536,185. Patented Mar. 26, 1895.

Inventor, paw

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DON .l. COOK, OF \VAKESIIMA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY D. S'IREATOR, OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN.

TROLLlNG-SPOON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 536,185, dated March 26, 1895.

Application filed July 28, 1394. Serial No. 518.799- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DON J. COOK, a citizen of the United States, residing in the township of Wakeshma, in the county of Kalamazoo and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolling-Spoons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in trolling spoons for fishing purposes.

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide'snch a trolling spoon that will revolve freely and easily in the water on the slightest motion of the device or of the water and that will be sustained in its revolving position by a slight current where it is desired to use the same in fishing in a current; second, to provide in such a trolling spoon against the possibility of the hook at the rear becoming entangled in the weeds that may be in the water or becoming hooked and entangled on any other object in the stream where it may be passing; third, to si in plit y the construction generally so that the device may be produced cheaply and answer its purpose perfectly; fourth, to providesnch a device that shall be attractive and conspicuous and designed to deceive any fish that may be in the vicinity where it is passing, the design being also conspicuous from the rear as well as from either side. I accomplish these objects by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 rep resents a detail view in perspective of myinvention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the little arrows toward the hooks. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 1 through the central part of the device. Fig. 4 is a modified form for attaching the hook detachably.

In the drawingssimilar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

At the forward end, the usual swivel, A, is shown for attaching my improved trolling spoon to the line. A rod, B, extends back from the same and at its rear end the usual feather covered hooks are attached. Any convenient hook will answer. On the rod, B, the wings, C, (J, are pivoted at C, and the brace, D, extends across from one wing to the other to support them apart. The wings, G,

O, are formed very much like the blades of a propeller, the design being to have them revolve as freely as possible and the cross piece, D, is bent at angles opposite to each other on each side of the rod, B, at D, and are also bent to act to cause the spoon to revolve upon the rod in the same direction that the propeller- Iike wings, C, of the spoon act. The twisting of the brace serves to strengthen it so that very thin metal can be used to otter as little resistance as possible.

The wings, O, C, of the spoon are made of a single piece of sheet metal out to the proper form and pressed into shape, the rod passing through a small hole at C, to serve as a hearing for the forward end. The central part of the brace, D, is made at right angles to the rod, B, and is perforated to receive the same. A small sleeve, or tube of thin, sheet metal, B, is placed on the rod against which the brace, D, acts to hold it in proper relation to the hooks, E. Another sleeve or bearing, B", is located just in front to accomplish the same result, when the hook is moved in the oppo site direction to keep it in proper relation to the books.

I desire to call attention to the fact that the wings, C, of my improved device project out farther than the points of the hooks to either side ofit he center of my improved trolling spoon and, owing to their formation, they revolve very rapidly when in motion in the water and this rapid motion and the fact that they are larger thou the hooks tend to strike any light wood or object to one side so that the hooks will pass withoutbecoming entangled therein, and where the object is stationary, as a stone or log, the wings striking against the same will cause the hook to be raised up above it or swung to one side of it so that it will pass without danger of becoming snagged.

I desire to say further in the construction of my device that, as here shown, it will revolve freely and Very well if the wings, C, are not propeller-shaped owing to the formation of the brace, D, and that when used in this way the trolling spoon has proved very satisfactory. It will be noted that the formation of this device is such that, in revolving, the wings, C, strike edgewise through the water and cause very little resistance and consequentlythey revolve very rapidly. The upper, or outer, or front side of the wings, O, is made bright so thatit will glisten in the water and when revolving the effect will be to produce a shining object something like a minnow the location of which will be contrally along the rod, 15, and the shining object will not seem to be nearly so bread as the two wings together but very much narrower. The brace, l), is formed to assist in the revolution and it revolves very rapidly. The back side of the brace, D, is also made bright so that in revolving it will glisten and be bright and make the spoon conspicuous from the rear as well as when looking at it from straight ahead which is also very desirable.

A sleeve, B, on the rod, B, prevents the spoon from sliding back and presents a very small bearing surface to reduce the friction very much and the two sides of the spoon being exactly balanced revolve with little friction against the rod, l and thus the spoon will revolve very freely upon its axis.

The construction shown in Fig. 4, is preferred by me as it permits the detaching of the hooks and the substitution of a size or kind suited to the kind of fish it is desired to capture.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a trolling spoon, the combination of a central axis, B, a suitable means of attaching the same to a line; the oppositely located propeller-shaped wings, C, constructed of a single piece of metal; a brace, D, extending across the inner surface of said propellershaped wings, C, and bent on the opposite sides to act to cause the rotation in the same direction asthe propeller-shaped blades; suitable bearings at C, D, through the front ends of the wings and the central part of the braces, l), for the axis, B; a sleeve, 13', on said axis, I), to form a bearing against the rear of the brace, D.

2. In a trolling hook,oppositely located propeller-shaped blades, 0, composed of a single piece of metal; a brace, D, bent to act when pulled through the water to revolve the spoon in the same direction as the propeller-shaped blades; a central axis, B, extending through said spoon and brace; and sleeves, B, on said axis to the rear of said brace so that the propeller-shaped blades and brace will both act to revolve the spoon rapidly, for the purpose specified.

3. In a trolling spoon,the combination of the central axis, B; suitable means of attaching thesame toa line; the oppositely located propeller-shaped wings, C, constructed of a single piece of metal; braces, D, extending across the inner surface of said propeller shaped wings, C, and bent on opposite sides to act to cause rotation in the same direction as the propeller shaped blades; suitable bearings at C, D, through the front ends of the wings and the central part of the braces, D, for the axis, 13; a sleeve, B, on said axis, B, to form a bearing against the rear of the brace, D; and a suitable hook attached to the axis to the rear of said propeller shaped blade having less breadth than the spread of the blades, substantially as described for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of two witnesses.

DON J. COOK. [L. 5.]

\Vitnes es:

HENRY D. STREATOR, MARIAN I. LONGYEAR. 

